150 



Perhaps the State Department will suggest a United Nations' study 

 of the marine resources with the idea of turning them over to under- 

 developed countries. I believe this concept is being considered since 

 many underdeveloped nations do lack such resources. 



Dr. Cain. One further word of clarification. The Ad Hoc Committee 

 on International Marine Policy which was also set up by the National 

 Council has been very active since early May. I am Interior's repre- 

 sentative on that Committee. It has dealt with this problem extensively 

 through panels of that Committee just to avoid overlaps between the 

 two Committees and duplication of effort after they have been busy 

 on this problem for about 5 months. The Coastal Zone Committee has 

 so far not undertaken the question which you have raised. This is 

 not a denial of U.S. interest in the problem, not by any means. 



Mr. Pelly. The chairman of this committee and a number of the 

 members have introduced similar resolutions indicating that we do not 

 favor the idea of the United States voting to support the Malta pro- 

 posal made recently in the United Nations. I think our responsiljility 

 here is to try to protect the United States. That is this committee's 

 responsibility. 



What I am trying to get from you is a statement as to whether on 

 the basis of our projected growth, we actually need the minerals — as 

 you put it, the energy-producing fuels and other resources of the sea- 

 bed — not only on the Continental Shelf but beyond. 



Dr. Cain. I can answer that question positively, Mr. Pelly. There 

 is a very great national need for resources of the sea. There is no mood 

 in the Department of the Interior in any way to restrict our national 

 ability to exploit these resources. We have the same concern, exactly. 



Mr. Pelia". I certainly hope that you will not sit in as the representa- 

 tive of the Department of the Interior on any ad hoc committee or any 

 other group with representatives of other departments of Government 

 and let them talk you out of expressing your Department's interest in 

 mapping out and exploiting in every way possible whatever marine 

 resources we are able to locate. 



Dr. Cain. I cannot prejudge what either the ad hoc committee or 

 the National Marine Council, when the ad hoc committee reports to it 

 on this point, may decide as a committee, but I can say that so far as 

 Interior is concerned, we are satisfied with the status quo. We do not 

 want to rock the boat. We are perfectly willing to let the developments 

 proceed in the next several years for the primary reason that our in- 

 terest is great and we have the leading technical capacity to do some- 

 thing about it. This is Interior's position, as I understand it. That is 

 all I can comment on. 



Mr. Pelly. I certainly want to express, as one Member of Con- 

 gress, full support for the program you have mapped out to encourage 

 and arrange for leases for all the resources on the Continental Shelf 

 and as far beyond as we are able to exploit and develop them. 



Dr. Cain. Which is allowed under the Geneva Conference ? 



Mr. Pelly. Wliich I say is allowed. I am not sure the State 

 Department takes the same position. I think they consider it ambig- 

 uous. There is nothing ambiguous to me. I even go a little further, Mr. 

 Chairman. From what legal advice I have been able to obtain from the 

 Library of Congress Law Review Division, I understand that it is 



